Photographic masking arrangement



May 14, 1963 w. BAASNER 3,089,384

PHOTOGRAPHIC MASKING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG./

INVENTOR WI LHELM BAASNER ATTORNEY May 14, 1963 w. BAASNER 3,089,384

PHOTOGRAPHI'C MASKING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 18. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 260 LW A1 17 \k 24 25 20 INVENTOR WILHELM BAASNER BY 'pak 6% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,334 PHGTGGRAPHEC MASKING ARRANGEMENT Wilhelm Baasncr, Munich, Germany, assiguor to Agfa Alrtiengeselischaft, Leverkusen, Bayerwerk, Germany Fiied Oct. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 63,340 Ciainrs priority, application Germany Get. 31, 1.959 14 Ciaims. (U. S824) The present invention relates to photographic apparatus.

More particularly, the present invention relates to photographic reproduction devices which are adapted to make photographic prints. These devices are commonly referred to as enlargers, for example.

In photographic reproduction apparatus of this type it is necessary to provide a masking arrangement which determines the size of the photographic image, and in the operation of conventional photographic reproduction apparatus a considerable amount of time and elfort is required, particularly on the part of inexperienced personnel, for determining the proper settings of the masking elements so as to produce a photograph of the desired size. Not only is it necessary to set the masking elements so that the photographic reproduction will have the desired ratio between the length and width of the photograph, but in addition, care must be taken to consider the width of the blank border which surrounds the photograph on the photographic paper, since the position of the paper is determined by its outer edges while the photograph itself will always be smaller than the outer periphery of the paper and surrounded by a border of a given Width. Therefore, when the width of this border is taken into consideration, the calculations become fairly complex and very often errors are made particularly in the case of inexperienced personnel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a photographic reproduction apparatus of the above type wherein a single adjusting element can be actuated for providing photographs of difierent sizes but all of which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths. Most photographs have a certain predetermined ratio between their lengths and widths, so that with an arrangement of this type it is unnecessary for the operator to carry out any calculations since a single manipulation will result in the proper relationship between the length and width of a photograph.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic apparatus of the above type which while being capable of providing photographs of different sizes all of which have the same ratio between the length and width nevertheless can at the same time be very easily manipulated so as to provide photographs of special lengths and widths whose ratio differs from the usual ratio, so that it is a simple matter to provide for special conditions where the length and width of the photograph is ditlerent from the usual length and width relation.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of the above type wherein the masking elements which determine further dimensions of the photograph are securely locked with respect to movement against each other in a fully automatic manner while the masking elements which determine the other dimension can be adjusted with respect to each other.

lt is also an object of the present invention to provide in cooperation with a structure of the above type a means which will automatically determine the width of the border which surrounds the photograph.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a single adjusting element which can be actuated for regulating the width of the border which surrounds the photograph while at the same time permitting the ice size of the photograph to be adjusted without changing the width of the border which has been previously set.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of structure capable of accomplishing all of the above objects and at the same time composed of simple rugged elements which are very reliable in operation.

With the above objects in view the present invention includes, in a masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which have diiferent sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, a manually operable means and a first pair of parallel masking elements. A first transmission means transmits movement of this manually operable means to the first pair of masking elements to move the latter toward and away from each other with a first transmission ratio between the manually operable means and the first pair of masking elements. A second pair of masking elements extend across the first pair of masking elements, and a second transmission means transmits the movement of the manually operable means to the second pair of masking elements to move the latter toward and away from each other with a second transmission ratio between the manually operable means and the second pair of masking elements, and in accordance with the present invention the first transmission ratio and the second transmission ratio have with respect to each other a ratio which is equal to the abovementioned constant ratio between the lengths and widths of the photograph.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a prospective illustration of that part of a photographic reproduction apparatus which carries the structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing the details of the transmission of the invention as well as of a clutch and lock means of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary prospective illustration on an enlarged scale, as compared to FIG. 1, illustrating another embodiment of a stop means adapted to cooperate 'with a sheet of printing paper for determining the position of the latter.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is fragmentarily illustrated therein a housing 1 of the photographic enlarger which includes the structure of the invention, the optical apparatus of the enlarger being purely conventional and being omitted from P16. 1 for the sake of clarity. The upper part of the housing 1 which is illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a pressure plate 2 part of which is formed by a transparent glass sheet 3. The image of the photograph which is to be reproduced is directed through the glass sheet 3 from the underneath thereof onto the lightsensitive photographic paper which is located over the glass sheet 3, and the area of the photographic reproduction is determined by two pairs of masking elements. The elongated masking elements 4 and 5 are parallel to each other and form one of the pairs of masking elements, while the elongated masking elements 6 and '7' are also parallel to each other, extend perpendicularly across the elements 4 and 5, and form the other pair of masking elements.

A means is provided for moving the elements of each pair of masking elements toward and away from each other, and this moving means includes a pair of elongated racks 8 and 9 respectively fixed to and carrying the masking elements 4 and 5 as well as a second pair of elongated racks 10 and 11 respectively fixed t and carrying the masking elements 6 and 7. A guide means is provided for guiding the racks for longitudinal movement, and this guide means takes the form of a plurality of pins 12 fixedly carried by the upper plate 2 of the housing 1 and defining between themselves spaces through which the several racks pass in the manner shown in FIG. 1, so that the pins 12 cooperate with the outer side edges of the racks to guide the latter for longitudinal movement. it will be noted that the racks 8 and 9 are parallel to each other and extend perpendicularly across the racks 10 and 11. Moreover, the masking elements 4 and respectively extend perpendicularly from the racks 8 and 9. In the same way, the racks 1t) and 11 are parallel to each other and the masking elements 6 and 7 respectively extend perpendicularly from the racks and 11. Each pair of racks respectively has rack teeth directed towards each other. These racks form part of a transmission means for moving the several masking elements, and this transmission means further includes a pair of coaxial pinions 14 and 16. As may be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the pinion 16 is located between and meshes with the teeth of the rack 10 and 11 while the pinion 14 is located between and meshes with the teeth of the racks 8 and 9. A single shaft 15 forms a manually operable means operatively connected to the pinions for turning the latter and thus actuating the pair of transmission means which move the pairs of parallel masking elements. The shaft 15 extends coaxially through the pair of pinions 14 and 16 and is fixedly connected with the pinion 14 by way of a cross pin 34 (FIG. 2). It will be noted that the space between the racks If) and 11 is somewhat larger than the space between the racks 8 and 9, and the pinion 16 is somewhat larger than the pinion 14.

The most usual photographic format which is used in by far the majority of all photographs is one where the length of the photograph has with respect to the width of the photograph the ratio of the square root of 2 to 1. In the illustrated example the diameter of the pitch circle of the pinion 16 has with respect to the diameter of the pitch circle of the pinion 14 the ratio of the square root of 2 to 1. As a result of this arrangement, when the operator turns the shaft 15, both of the pinions 14 and 16 will turn and both of the pairs of racks will be shifted longitudinally, the racks of each pair moving in opposite directions, so that in this way the masking ele ments of each pair are moved toward or away from each other, but at the same time because of the relationship between the diameters of the pitch circles of the pinions 14 and 16, the length of the photograph, irrespective of its size, will have with respect to the width of the photograph the ratio of the square root of 2 to 1, so that with the structure of the invention it is unnecessary for the operator to make any calculations and once he sets either the length or the width of a photograph to a desired size, the other dimension will have the proper magnitude.

As is evident from FIG. 2, the shaft 15 fixedly carries at its top end a knob 15d so as to facilitate manual turning of the manually operable means formed by the shaft 15.

As is also apparent from FIG. 2, the upper wall 2 of the housing 1 has a thickened portion 17 at the region where the shaft 15 passes through the wall 2. This por tion 17 is formed with a bore 18, and a bearing member 19 is fixedly arranged in the bore 18. The pinion 16 extends through and is turnably supported by the bearing 19, in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The shaft 15 has a portion 15a which extends slidably through the pinion 16 and is in no way positively connected therewith, so that the pinion 16 is not constratined at all times to rotate with the shaft 15. A clutch means is provided in accordance wih the present invention for connecting and disconnecting the shaft 15 from the pinion 16, so that when this clutch means is disengaged it is possible for the shaft 15 to rotate while the pinion 16 remains stationary.

This clutch means includes a disk 20 which is riveted to the bottom end of the hub 16a of the pinion 16 so that the disk 20 is fixed to the pinion 16 for rotary movement therewith. This disk 20 in addition to forming part of the clutch means of the invention also forms part of a lock means of the invention, described below, and for the purpose of the lock means the disk 20 is provided with teeth distributed along its outer periphery. It will be noted that the disk 20 engages the under side of the bearing 19. The shaft 15 is provided with a threaded portion 15b, and this threaded portion 15b serves to threadedly connect to the shaft 15 for rotary movement therewith a second disk 21 which also forms part of the clutch means of the invention. This second disk 21 is formed with an axial bore or opening 22, and the disk 20 fixedly carries a pin 23 which extends into the bore 22 when the clutch means is in its engaged position illustrated in FIG. 2. The pin 23 is riveted at its top end to the disk 20 as shown in FIG. 2.

The lock means of the invention which acts through the disk 21) on the pinion 16 for releasably locking the latter automatically in the angular position it happens to be in when the clutch means is disengaged, includes the wedge member 24 which is guided for shifting movement to the right and left, as viewed in FIG. 2, through a guiding structure which is not illustrated for the sake of clarity. Thus, the portion 17 of the wall 2 is provided with a downwardly directed projection formed with a suitable cutout passing therethrough and in which the member 24 is slidably guided for movement to the right or left, as viewed in FIG. 2. The disk 21 has a beveled peripheral portion '25 cooperating with an inclined surface of the wedge member 24. An elongated leaf spring member 26 has one end 26a fixed by a screw 27 to the wall 2, and

riveted to the lock member 29 provided at its left end,

as viewed in FIG. 2, with a tooth which is adapted to extend into the gap between a pair of successive teeth at the periphery of the disk 29. The portion 17 of the wall 2 fixedly carries at its underside a strap 31 which extends across the underside of the lock member 29 and which has a pair of unillustrated free ends fixed to the portion 17 of the wall 2, so that this strap 31 supports the lock member 29 for movement to the right and left, as viewed in FIG. 2. The strap 31 is formed with an elongated slot 30 extending longitudinally to the right and left, as viewed in FIG. 2, and the pin 28 extends slidably through the slot 30 so as to be guided by the latter for movement to the right or'left, as viewed in FIG. 2. It is clear therefore, that when the wedge element 24 is shifted to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, the spring 26 will act through the pin 28 on the lock member 29 to shift the latter to the left so as to place the tooth of the lock member in engagement with the teeth of the disk 26 to prevent turning of the latter and thus prevent turning of the pinion 16. Of course, the sides of the strap 31 extend along and are located directly next to the sides of the lock member 29 so that the latter can only move to the right and left, as viewed in FIG. 2.

The shaft 15 is provided beneath the threaded portion 15b thereof with a free end portion 15c which extends slidably into a guide member 32 which in its interior houses a spring 33 which acts on the bottom end of the shaft 15 to urge the latter upwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 2. This spring 33 acts also to urge the clutch means to its engaged position.

Thus, whenever the operator wishes to change the size of the photograph while maintaining the normal ratio of the square root of 2 to 1 between the length and width of the photograph, it is only necessary for the operator to turn the single shaft 15. When it is desired to make a photograph whose length and width do not conform to these normal proportions, then the operator turns the shaft until the masking elements 6 and 7 are spaced from each other by a distance equal to the length of the desired photograph, and this distance can be determined from a scale means which is described below. Once the distance between the masking elements 6 and 7 is determined, the operator depresses the shaft 15 in opposition to the spring 33, and this will cause the disk 21 of the clutch means to move downwardly and away from the disk 26. The beveled periphery of the disk 21 will simultaneously cooperate with the wedge element 24 to shift the latter to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, in opposition to the spring 26. Thus, the spring 26 will move the locking tooth 29 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, simultaneously with the downward movement of the clutch element 21, and the tooth of the locking element 29 will engage the teeth of the disk 20 when the element 21 has moved downwardly away from the element 26 by a distance sufficient to separate the opening 22 from the pin 23, so that when the clutch is disengaged by such separation of the opening 22 and pin 23 from each other, the locking element 29 engages the teeth of the disk 26 to lock the pinion 16 and thus the racks it and ill from movement, and in this way the space between the masking elements 6 and 7 is reliably maintained while the clutch means is in its disengaged position. With the clutch means thus held by the operator in its disengaged position, the operator turns the shaft 15 so that the pinion 14 will cooperate with the racks 8 and 9 to adjust the distance between the masking elements 4 and 5 and thus determine the width of the photograph, and it will be noted from FIG. 1 that the scale 36 cooperates with a pointer carried by the rack 8 so as to indicate to the operator that the width not only of a special photograph but the width of the photographs which are made when the clutch means is engaged. Of course, once the shaft 15 has been turned to a relatively small angle as to place the opening 22 out of alignment with the pin 23, the clutch means cannot be returned by the spring 33 to its engaged position. Thus, it is possible to manually disengage the clutch means so as to make a photograph of any desired relation between its length and width.

When it is desired to return to the making of photographs of the normal length and width ratio of the square root of 2 to 1, the operator merely turns the shaft 15 until the opening 22 of the disk 21 again becomes aligned with the pin 23, and immediately upon such alignment the spring 33 will move the shaft 15 upwardly to the position indicated in FIG. 2 where the clutch means is again engaged. Because of the provision of a single pin 23 cooperating with a single opening 22, the angular relationship between the pinion 16 and the shaft 15 is always the same when the clutch means transmits rotary movement of the shaft 15 to the pinion 16, and in this way the structure guarantees that when the clutch means is reengaged the pinion l4 acts on the racks 8 and 9 so as to place the masking elements 4 and 5 again at a distance from each other equal to the distance they had between each other when the clutch means was disengaged, so that the return of their parts to the position which they had before disengagement of the clutch means is assured.

Of course, upon return of the clutch means to its engaged position shown in FIG. 2 the spring 26 returns the wedge element 24 to the position shown in FIG. 2 and also the spring 26 shifts the locking element 29 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, so as to unlock the disk 2 and pinion 16 so that these elements can now turn together with the shaft 15.

A pair of the masking elements which cross over each other, the masking elements at and 6 in the illustrated ex ample, respectively carry a pair of stop means which engage a pair of intersecting side edges of the printing paper so as to determine the position of the printing paper with respect to the masking elements 4-7. Such printing paper is indicated by dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. The stop means carried by the masking element 4 includes a pair of stop pins 52 and 52a which are adapted to engage one side edge of the printing paper, while the stop means carried by the masking elements 6 includes a pin 55 which engages another edge of the light-sensitive photographic paper on which the print is made. The stop mem ber 55 is carried by a bell crank 53 of the stop means, this bell crank 53 being pivotally carried by the masking element 6 and the bell crank 53 has at the end thereof distant from that end which carries the pin 55 a second pin 54.

The stop means carried by the masking element 4 includes a pair of hell cranks 49 and 56 which respectively carry the stop members 52 and 52a, and these bell cranks 49 and 56 are pivotally carried by the masking element 4. The bell crank 49 carries at its end distant from the pin 52 a second pin 5i, and a link 57 is pivotally connected at both of its ends to the bell cranks 49 and S6 in the manner indicated in FIG. 1. This link 5'7 extends parallel to the inner side edge of the masking element 4 which determines one side of the field in which the photograph is reproduced, and thus a parallelogram linkage is provided which will maintain the legs of the bell crank 56 at all times parallel to the legs of the bell crank 49, so that when the latter is turned to adjust the position of the pin 52 relative to the masking element 4, the position of the pin 52a will be adjusted in exactly the same way so that these pins are always located at the same distance from the inner edge of the masking element 4.

A single manually operable element is provided for adjusting the pair of stop means which are respectively carried by the masking elements 4- and 6, and this single manually operable element includes the rotary shaft 37 which is supported for rotation about its axis by the upper wall 2 of the housing 1 in any suitable way. This shaft 37 fixedly carries a pinion 45 and it also carries a pointer 38 which cooperates with an arcuate scale 39 carrying indicia which indicate to the operator according to the position of the pointer the width of the border which will surround the photograph on the printing paper. In other words, the pointer 38 cooperates with a scale 39 to indicate to the operator the distance between the stop members 55, 52, 52a and the inner edges of the masking elements 5 and 4.

The pinion 4d meshes with a pair of racks 42 and 43. Thus, the teeth 41 of these racks 42 and 43 are shown in FIG. 1 meshing with the single pinion 4% which is fixed to the shaft 37 for rotary movement therewith. These racks 42 and 43 form parts of a pair of transmission means for transmitting movement of the single manually operable element 37 to the pair of stop means respectively carried by the masking elements 4 and 6. As may be seen from FIG. 1 pins 44 are provided to cooperate with the side edges of the racks 42 and 43 to guide the latter for longitudinal movement. The rack 42 fixedly carries an arm 45 which extends perpendicularly with respect to the rack 4-2 in a direction parallel to the masking element 6, and this arm 45 is formed with an elongated slot 46 extending also parallel to the masking element 6 in the direction in which the masking element 4 moves. The pin 51 is located in the slot 46. Thus, when the pinion 49 is turned upon rotation of the shaft 37 the rack 42 will shift longitudinally to move the arm 45 transverse to the direction of the slot 46 in a direction parallel to the masking element 4, and thus through the pin-and-slot connection 51, 46 the bell crank 49 will be turned so as to adjust the position of the pin 52 with respect to the masking element 4. Because of the above-described parallelogram linkage, the pin 52a will be simultaneously adjusted in exactly the same way.

The rack 43 fixedly carries an arm 47 which extends perpendicularly from the rack 43 in a direction parallel to the masking element 4, and this arm 47 is formed with an elongated slot 48 extending parallel to the masking element 4 in the direction in which the masking element 6 moves. The pin 54 extends into the slot 4%, so that in this Way a pin-and-slot connection is provided between the masking element 6 and the rack 43. Thus, during turning of the shaft 37 and pinion 4t) therewith, the rack 43 will be shifted longitudinally so as to move the arm 47 in a direction transverse of the length of the slot 48, and thus the bell crank '53 will be turned to adjust the position of the pin 55 with respect to the inner edge of the masking element 6.

It will be seen that with this arrangement the pair of transmission means transmitting the movement of the shaft 37 to the pair of stop means respectively carried by the masking elements 4 and 6 allow these masking elements 4 and 6 to be adjusted without in any way disturbing the setting of the pair of stop means with respect to the edges of the masking elements 4 and 6. Thus, during shifting of the rack 14) so as to adjust the position of the masking element 6, the pin 54 will simply move along the slot 48 without in any way changing the position of the pin 55 relative to the inner edge of the masking element 6. In the same way, when the rack S is shifted longitudinally to adjust the position of the masking element 4, the pin 51 will move along the slot 46 Without in any way disturbing the position of the stop members 52 and 52a with respect to the inner edge of the masking element 4. The light-sensitive printing paper is placed from above on the masking elements 4-7, in the position indicated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, and it will be seen that the edges of the paper will engage the stop members 55, 52 and 52a so that the position of the paper will be precisely determined. A cover member which is not shown for the sake of clarity is placed over the paper to press the latter against the masking elements, and this cover member is provided with suitable cutouts in which the paper stop means are received so that the cover member does not disturb the position of the pair of stop means.

The rack 43 fixedly carries the elongated scale 58 which extends perpendicularly with respect to the rack 43, and this scale 58 carries graduations 59 which indicate the relationship between the width of the border which surrounds the area in which the photograph is located and the size of the photograph itself. Actually these graduations 59 indicate the relationship between the length of the photograph and the width of the border surrounding the same. The individual graduations 59 terminate in a point or small circle 6% and a pointer member 6 is fixed to the masking elements 6 and extends at a 45 angle across the scale member 58. When the pointer member 61 extends across the point or circle 60 at the end of a selected graduation 59, then the operator knows that the apparatus has been set for the desired relation between the length of the photograph and the width of the border surrounding the same, and since the width of the photograph will always have a predetermined relation with respect to the length of the photograph, the relation between the width of the border and the size of the photograph is determined by the cooperation of the scale and pointer members 58 and 61. Thus, by selecting a proper graduation 59 it is possible for the operator to set the masking elements 4-7 to a particular size with respect to a chosen width of the border.

FIG. 3 illustrates a variation in the structure of FIG. 1 according to which it is not necessary to provide a parallelogram linkage for the stop means which is carried by the masking element 4. Referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the slot 46 of the arm 45 receives a pin 64 carried by a bell crank 62 which is pivoted at 63 on the masking element 4. This bell crank 62 has a pin-and-slot connection 66 with a block 65 which is guided on the masking element 4 for movement toward and away from the inner edge 4a thereof. The block 65 is formed with a T-notch extending inwardly from its inner edge, and a T-block 67 cooperates with this notch to guide the block 65 for movement toward and away from the edge 4a, and the block 65 carries a pair of stop members 68 which act in the same way as stop members 52 and 52a to engage a side edge of the photographic paper. It is clear that the embodiment of FIG. 3 will produce the same results as the stop means of FIG. 1 which is carried by the masking element '4.

Although it is possible to use, instead of the pinion and rack transmission between the element 15 and the several racks 81=1, a cable or chain drive, or a friction wheel drive, it is preferred to use the above-described pinion and rack arrangement. Moreover, the lock means can take the form of a brake or clamping device, but here again the above-described cooperation of elements 29 and 20 is preferred.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of photographic apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in photographic reproduction apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which have different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, manually operable means; a first pair of parallel masking elements; first transmission means transmitting movement of said manually operable means to said first pair of masking elements for moving the latter toward and away from each other with a first transmission ratio between said manually operable means and said first pair of masking elements; a second pair of parallel masking elements extending across said first pair of masking elements; second transmission means transmitting movement of said manually operable means to said second pair of masking elements for moving the latter toward and away from each other with a second transmission ratio between said manually operable means and said second pair of masking elements, said first transmission ratio and said second transmission ratio having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio between the lengths and widths of the photographs; and clutch means cooperating with one of said transmission means for optionally rendering the latter inoperative so that the pair of masking elements actuated by said one transmission means will not move while said manually operable means actuates the other of said transmission means to move the pair of masking elements actuated by said other transmission means.

2. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which have different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, manually operable means; a first pair of parallel masking elements; first transmission means transmitting movement of said manually operable means to said first pair of masking elements for moving the latter toward and away from each other with a first transmission ratio between said manually operable means and said first pair of masking elements; a second pair of parallel masking elements extending across said first pair of masking elements; second transmission means transmitting movement of said manually operable means to said second pair of masking elements for moving the latter toward and away from each other with a second transmission ratio between said manually operable means and said second pair of masking elements, said first transmission ratio and said second transmission ratio having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio between the lengths and widths of the photographs; clutch means cooperating with one of said transmission means for optionally rendering the latter inoperative so that the pair of masking elements actuated by said one transmission means will not move while said manually operable means actuates the other of said transmission means to move the pair of masking elements actuated by said other transmission means; and lock means actuated by said clutch means for automatically locking the pair of masking elements actuated by said one transmission means in the position they have when said one transmission means is rendered inoperative by said clutch means.

3. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which are of different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, a first pair of parallel racks respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; guide means guiding said first pair of parallel racks for longitudinal movement; a first rotary pinion located between and meshing with said first pair of racks; a first pair of parallel masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said first pair of racks; a second pair of parallel racks extending perpendicularly across said first pair of racks and also respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; a second pinion located between and meshing with said second pair of racks, said second pinion being coaxial with said first pinion and the pitch circles of said pinions having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio; guide means guiding said second pair of racks for longitudinal movement; a second pair of masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said second pair of racks across said first pair of masking elements; and a single rotary shaft operatively connected with said pinions coaxially therewith for simultaneously turning said pinions when said shaft is turned, so that said masking elements can be adjusted to provide a photograph of a desired size while maintaining the ratio between the lengths and widths of the photographs constant.

4. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which are or" different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, a first pair of parallel racks respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; guide means guiding said first pair of parallel racks for longitudinal movement; a first rotary pinion located between and meshing with said first pair of racks; a first pair of parallel masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said first pair of racks; a second pair of parallel racks extending perpendicularly across said first pair of racks and also respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; a second pinion located between and meshing with said second pair of racks, said second pinion being coaxial with said first pinion and the pitch circles of said pinions having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio; guide means guiding said second pair of racks for longitudinal movement; a second pair of masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said second pair of racks across said first pair of masking elements; a single rotary shaft operatively connected with said pinions coaxially therewith for simultaneously turning said pinions when said shaft is turned, so that said masking elements can be adjusted to provide a photograph of a desired size while maintaining the ratio between the lengths and Widths of the photographs constant; and clutch means releasably connecting one of said pinions with said shaft for rotary movement therewith, said clutch means having a disenengaged position where said one pinion is not operatively connected to said shaft for rotary movement therewith so that when said clutch means is in said disengaged position thereof the racks actuated by said one pinion will remain stationary during rotation of said shaft with the other of said pinions.

5. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photographic reproduction apparatus, photographs which are of different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, a first pair of parallel racks respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; guide means guiding said first pair of parallel racks for longitudinal movement; a first rotary pinion located between and meshing with said first pair of racks; a first pair of parallel masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said first pair of racks; a second pair of parallel racks extending perpendicularly across said first pair of racks and also respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; a second pinion located between and meshing with said second pair of racks, said second pinion being coaxia-l with said first pinion and the pitch circles of said pinions having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio; guide means guiding said second pair of racks for longitudinal movement; a second pair of masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said second pair of racks across said first pair of masking elements; a single rotary shaft operatively connected with said pinions coaxially therewith for simultaneously turning said pinions when said shaft is turned, so that said masking elements can be adjusted to provide a photograph of a desired size while maintaining the ratio between the lengths and widths of the photographs constant; clutch means releasably connecting one of said pinions with said shaft for rotary movement therewith, said clutch means having a disengaged position where said one pinion is not operatively connected to said shaft for rotary movement therewith so that when said clutch means is in said disengaged position thereof the racks actuated by said one pinion will remain stationary during rotation of said shaft with the other of said pinions; and releasable lock means cooperating with said one pinion and actuated by said clutch means for automatically locking said one pinion against rotation when said clutch means is in its disengaged position.

6. A masking arrangement for providing, in a photo graphic reproduction apparatus, photographs which are of different sizes but which have a constant ratio between their lengths and widths, comprising, in combination, a first pair of parallel racks respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; guide means guiding said first pair of parallel racks for longitudinal movement; a first rotary pinion located between and meshing with said first pair of racks; a first pair of parallel masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said first pair of racks; a second pair of parallel racks extending perpendicularly across said first pair of racks and also respectively having rack teeth directed toward each other; a second pinion located between and meshing with said second pair of racks, said second pinion being coaxial with said first pinion and the pitch circles of said pinions having with respect to each other a ratio equal to said constant ratio; guide means guiding said second pair of racks for longitudinal movement; a second pair of masking elements respectively fixed to and extending perpendicularly from said second pair of racks across said first pair of masking elements; a single rotary shaft operatively connected with said pinions coaxially therewith for simultaneously turning said pinions when said shaft is turned, so that said masking elements can be adjusted to provide a photograph of a desired size while maintaining the ratio between the lengths and widths of the photographs constant; and clutch means releasably connecting one of said pinions with said shaft for rotary movement therewith, said clutch means having a disengaged position where said one pinion is not operatively connected to said shaft for rotary movement therewith so that when said clutch means is in said disengaged position thereof the racks actuated by said one pinion will remain stationary during rotation of said shaft with the other of said pinions, said clutch means including a pair of discs respectively fixed to said shaft and said one pinion, one of said discs being formed with an opening and the other of said discs fixedly carrying a pin located in said opening when said clutch means is engaged, said shaft and said one pinion being longitudinally shiftable one with respect to the other for separating said pin and said opening from each other to place said clutch means in said disengaged position thereof.

7. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of masking elements one of which extends across the other; moving means cooperating with said masking element for moving the same to regulate the size of the photograph; a pair of stop means spaced from each other and respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for engaging a pair of intersecting edges of a 'lightensitive paper on which a photograph is to be reproduced so as to determine the location of the paper; and a single adjusting means cooperating with said pair of stop means for simultaneously adjusting the latter with respect to said pair of masking elements for determining the width of the border which surrounds the photograph.

8. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of mutually perpendicular masking elements one of which crosses over the other; moving means cooperating with said masking elements for moving each masking element in a direction pa allel to the other masking element for adjusting the size of the photograph; a pair of stop means respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for engaging the edges of a light-sensitive paper on which the photograph is to be reproduced, said pair of stop means determining the width of the border which surrounds the photograph; a single manually operable adjusting element for adjusting the position of said pair of stop means with respect to said pair of masking elements; and a pair of transmission means cooperating with said single adjusting element and respectively with said pair of stop means for transmitting movement of said adjusting element to said pair of stop means for adjusting the latter with respect to said pair of masking elements, said pair of transmission means maintaining the adjusted positions of said pair of stop means relative to said pair of masking elements, respectively, while said moving means moves said pair of masking elements.

9. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of mutually perpendicular masking elements one of which crosses over the other; moving means cooperating with said masking elements for moving each masking element in a direction parallel to the other masking element for adjusting the size of the photograph; a pair of stop means respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for engaging the edges of a light-sensitive paper on which the photograph is to be reproduced, said pair of stop means determining the width of the border which surrounds the photograph; a single manually operable adjusting element for adjusting the position of said pair of stop means with respect to said pair of masking elements; and a pair of transmission means cooperating with said single adjusting element and respectively with said pair of stop means for transmitting movement of said adjusting element to said pair of stop means for adjusting the latter with respect to said pair of masking elements, said pair of transmission means maintaining the adjusted positions of said pair of stop means relative to said pair of masking elements, respectively, while said moving means moves said pair of masking elements, said pair of transmission means including a pair of elongated pin-and-slot connections, respectively, which respectively have slots respectively extending in the directions in which said pair of masking elements move.

10. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of elongated masking elements extending across each other; moving means cooperating with said elements for moving each element in a direction parallel to the other element; a pair of elongated slotted members respectively formed with longitudinal slots and respectively extending parallel to said masking elements; a pair of hell cranks respectively pivotally carried by said masking elements, each bell crank fixedly carrying a pair of pins which are respectively located adjacent the free ends of each bell crank, one of the pins of each bell crank forming a stop member which is adapted to engage an edge of a light-sensitive photographic paper and the other of the pins of each bell crank extending into the slot of the slotted member which is parallel to the masking element which carries the other bell crank; a pair of racks extending across each other and respectively fixed to said slotted members; and a single pinion meshing with both of said racks for actuating the latter to respectively move said slotted members respectively in directions transverse to said slots thereof for turning said bell cranks to adjust the positions of said stop members so as to regulate the width of the border which surrounds the photograph.

11. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of masking elements extending across each other; moving means cooperating with said elements for moving each masking element in a direction parallel to the other masking element; a pair of stop means respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for respectively engaging a pair of intersecting edges of a light-sensitive photographic paper for determining the width of the border which surrounds a photograph reproduced on said paper; a single manually operable adjusting element; a pair of transmission means actuated by said single adjusting element and cooperating with said pair of stop means for adjusting the latter; and a scale member and a pointer member, said members being respectively carried by one of said transmission means and one of said masking elements and cooperating with each other for indicating the particular format of the photograph which will be reproduced.

12. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of masking elements extending across each other; moving means cooperating with said elements for moving each masking element in a direction parallel to the other masking element; a pair of stop means respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for respectively engaging a pair of intersecting edges of a light-sensitive photographic paper for determining the width of the border which surrounds a photograph reproduced on said paper; a single manually operable adjusting element; a pair of transmission means actuated by said single adjusting element and cooperating with said pair of stop means for adjusting the latter; and a scale member and a pointer member, said members being respectively carried by one of said transmission means and one of said masking elements and cooperating with each other for indicating the particular format of the photograph which will be reproduced, said pointer member extending at substantially a 45 angle across said scale member.

13. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproduction apparatus, in combination, a pair of masking elements one of which extends across the other; a pair of stop means respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for engaging a pair of intersecting edges of a aosassa light-sensitive paper on which a photograph is to be reproduced so as to determine the location of the paper; and a single adjusting means cooperating with said pair of Stop means for simultaneously adjusting the latter with respect to said pair of masking elements for determining the width of the border which surrounds the photograph, one of said pair of stop means including a pair of hell cranks and a pair of stop pins respectively fixed thereto, and an elongated link extending between and pivotally connected to said pair of bell cranks for maintaining the legs of one of said pair of bell cranks at all times parallel to the legs of the other of said pair of hell cranks so that adjustment of one of said pair of bell cranks will automatically adjust the other to maintain said pair of stop members at the same positions relative to the masking element which carries said one stop means.

14. In a masking arrangement for a photographic reproducing apparatus, in combination, a pair of masking elements one of which extends across the other; means cooperating with said masking elements for moving the same to change the size of the photograph; a pair of stop means spaced from each other and respectively carried by said pair of masking elements for engaging a pair of intersecting edges of a light-sensitive paper on which a photograph is to be reproduced so as to determine the location of the paper; and a single adjusting means cooperating with said pair of stop means for simultaneously adjusting the latter with respect to said pair of masking elements for determining the width of the border which surrounds the photograph, one of said stop means including an elongated block, guide means guiding said block for movement transversely of the masking element which carries said block, and a pair of stop pins carried by said block and adapted to engage an edge of the light-sensitive paper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,472,640 Dye Oct. 30, 1923 2,250,309 Lary July 22, 1941 2,964,998 Middlestadt Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,924 Austria Mar. 27, 1947 868,696 Germany Feb. 26, 1953 

1. A MASKING ARRANGEMENT FOR PROVIDING, IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION APPRATUS, PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH HAVE DIFFERENT SIZES BUT WHICH HAVE A CONSTANT RATIO BETWEEN THEIR LENGTHS AND WIDTHS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS; A FIRST PAIR OF PARALLEL MASKING ELEMENTS; FIRST TRANSMISSION MEANS TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF MASKING ELEMENTS FOR MOVING THE LATTER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WITH A FIRST TRANSMISSION RATIO BETWEEN SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS AND SAID FIRST PAIR OF MASKING ELEMENT; A SECOND PAIR OF PARALLEL MASKING ELEMENTS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FIRST PAIR OF MASKING ELEMENTS; SECOND TRANSMISSION MEANS TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS TO SAID SECOND PAIR OF MASKING ELEMENTS FOR MOVING THE LATTER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WITH A SECOND TRANSMISSION RATIO BETWEEN SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS AND SAID SECOND PAIR OF MASKING ELEMENTS, SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION RATIO AND SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION RATIO AND HAVING WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER A RATIO EQUAL TO SAID CONSTANT RATIO BETWEEN THE 